Financing / Crowdfunding : Equity Investment by Kent Probst

If you need any support creating your investor pitch deck, I highly recommend Sara Elizabeth Timmins' upcoming lab. She'll share terrific insight on how to find and approach investors for film projects. Here's a link so you can check it out: https://www.stage32.com/classes/Stage-32-6-Part-Pitching-Lab-Create-Your...

Hi Kent, I’m sure some of the courses in here will give you ideas but the truth of the matter I think is equity financiers are very hard to find. Everyone wants them and if they find any they keep them close to their chests to use for their own future films. Best places to find them are at important film festivals particularly if one of your films has won an award there or even showing there. Then there’s just your own network of friends and family. You can do a simple screening of one of your films, even a short and make it a fundraising evening. Set a min entry level for investment and advertise the evening. Have fill in forms available and free drinks and give a small chat at the beginning of the evening that you are seeking investors and ham up the returns and benefits.

Cant really comment but the fact that you're here means you're in the right place to find some investors!

Hi Kent Probst, great question. Are you looking for equity investment for a feature film, television series or web series?

Equity for a comedy feature.

Figure out your budget. Start with something reasonable. Make a list of people you know to reach out to. For new / first timers, this is where you'll most likely get the money. Abide by security laws.

I think the key is to keep it simple. You probably already know people. But if you don't know how you'll make the money back, you shouldn't ask anyone for money. Rather, find a way to do a short film or low cost feature that is less of a financial blow if it doesn't succeed. My two cents.

I am a director with 50 years of experience making movies in 35mm. I have my own camera, and Moviola and flatbed editing table, a Cinemonta 6 plate, and hot splicers, synchoronizers 16 and 35mm. Blow Up and Reduction, and Sound recorders, and all that is necessary to produce a 35mm feature film. The only thing I don't have is a processing machine for 35 negative and positive films and internegatives and interpositives.

Kent Probst Equity investment is highly dependent on attachment. Who is attached is usually the number one factor for equity investors, though they also weigh distribution, genre, budget realism, and tax incentives, and without a big name or distribution it is very hard to raise equity.